John Mock is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and photographer with a particular interest in the topic of maritime history and culture.
Biography
Early years
Mock is a native of ConnecticutâÂÂs eastern shore. His father was in the Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut, and Mock grew to love the ocean and shoreline. Mock began playing guitar at age 15. When he visited Ireland at age 28, he started playing the tin whistle, and he took up the concertina in his 30s.
Studio work, composing, and arranging
Eventually, Mock left the Atlantic coast for Nashville, where he works as a composer, producer, arranger and instrumentalist. Studio and live credits include James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Sylvia, Kathy Mattea, Nanci Griffith, Tim O'Brien, Mark O'Connor, Gretchen Peters, Maura O'Connell, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, and many others.
His orchestral arrangements have been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the symphonies of Atlanta and Nashville. His work "The Stone" was included on the Nashville Chamber Orchestra's 1997 Warner Bros, Debut.
MockâÂÂs film scoring credits include the 2017 SONY/Affirm film âÂÂAll Saintsâ (written with Conni Ellisor) starring John Corbett, Barry Corbin, and Cara Buono. John's music can also be heard in the independent film âÂÂThe OtherworldâÂÂ.
The Dixie Chicks performed Mock's arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXXVII.
From The Shoreline
Mock has toured extensively to stage his concert presentation From the Shoreline, which uses multimedia to celebrate the Atlantic coastline from New England to Ireland. He performs original compositions on guitar, concertina, mandolin, tin whistle and other instruments and integrates projections of his own photographs of castles, lighthouses, and ships, taken during his travels to New England, Ireland, and Scotland.
In 2013, Mock was recognized by the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) as an artist advocate. He launched the KeeperâÂÂs House Concert Series to benefit the ALF and to promote the appreciation and preservation of lighthouses.
Collaborations
Since 1996, Mock has been producing and arranging for ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Sylvia, and leads her band on tour as well. He has co-written many of her songs. Their albums together include:
- The Real Story (1996)
- Where In The World (2002)
- A Cradle In Bethlehem (2002)
- ItâÂÂs All In The Family (2016)
- Second Bloom â The Hits Re-Imagined (2018)
MockâÂÂs long association with Maura O'Connell has included recording, touring throughout the US and Ireland, and extensive work creating orchestral arrangements of her songs.
In 1998, Mock and the late Butch Baldassari released Cantabile: Duets for Mandolin and Guitar, both as a CD and a book of music transcriptions. In 2007, they recorded Music of O'Carolan, a tribute to Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan. Both albums are on Baldassari's SoundArt label.
Other projects
Mock contributed bodhrán, low whistle, and penny whistle to the soundtrack for Liberty! The American Revolution spearheaded by Mark O'Connor, Yo Yo Ma, and James Taylor.
He also worked with Ma on Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology along with O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, and others.
Mock has recorded numerous albums of Irish and Colonial American instrumental music for Green Hill Music of Nashville.
Discography
Solo albums
- 2005: The Day at Sea (self-released)
- 2011: Keeper's Companion (self-released)
As producer
- 1996:ÃÂ Sylvia ÃÂ -ÃÂ The Real StoryÃÂ (Red Pony)
- 2002: Sylvia -ÃÂ Where In The WorldÃÂ (Red Pony)
- 2002: Sylvia -ÃÂ A Cradle In BethlehemÃÂ (Red Pony)
- 2008: Thom Schuyler â Prayer of a Desperate Man
- 2009: Craig Bickhardt â Brother To The Wind (Stone Barn)
- 2014:ÃÂ Craig Bickhardt ÃÂ -ÃÂ The More I WonderÃÂ (Stone Barn)
- 2016: Sylvia -ÃÂ It's All in the FamilyÃÂ (Red Pony)
- 2018: Sylvia â Second Bloom â The Hits Re-Imagined (Red Pony)
- 2018: Thom Shuyler â The Banks of Jordan
As sideman
- 1991: Kathy Mattea -àTime Passes Byà(Polygram) â guitar
- Kathy Mattea -àWillow In The Wind Byà(Polygram) â classical guitar on âÂÂWhere've You BeenâÂÂ
- 1995: Nashville Mandolin Ensemble -ÃÂ PlectrasonicsÃÂ ( CMH ) - mandolin
- 1995:àMaura O'Connell à-àStoriesà( Hannibal ) â tin whistle
- 1997:àMark O'Connor à-àLiberty! The American Revolution: Original Television Soundtrack à(Sony Classical) - pennywhistle, bodhrán, low whistle, recorder
- 1998: Nanci Griffith:àOther Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) à(Elektra) â tin whistle
- 1998: Michael W. Smith -àLive the Lifeà(Reunion) â tin whistle on track 12,Hello, Goodbye
- 1998:àTwila Paris à-àPerennial (Songs For The Seasons Of Life)à( Sparrow ) â tin whistle
- 1999: Tanya Savory -ÃÂ Town to TownÃÂ ( Philo ) - tin whistle, concertina
- 1999:ÃÂ Martina McBride ÃÂ -ÃÂ Emotion ÃÂ (RCA) - tin whistle, low whistle
- 1999:ÃÂ Tim O'Brien ÃÂ -ÃÂ The CrossingÃÂ (Alula) - percussion, low whistle
- 1999: Nanci Griffith with the London Symphony Orchestra -àThe Dust Bowl Symphonyà(Elektra) â orchestral arranger, acoustic guitar, tin whistle
- 2000: David Davidson -àCeltic Fantasyà(Green Hill) - concertina, bodhrán, guitar, tin whistle
- 2001:àDolly Parton à-àLittle Sparrow à( Sugar Hill ) â tin whistle, harmonium
- 2001:àJoshua Bell ,àSam Bush ,àBéla Fleck ,àYo-Yo Ma ,àMike Marshall ,àEdgar Meyer ,àMark O'Connor ,àJames Taylor, andàAlison Krauss à-àHeartland: An Appalachian Anthologyà( Sony Classical ) - tin whistle, low whistle
- 2002: Dixie Chicks -àHome à(Monument) - percussion, bodhrán, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, string arrangements
- 2003:ÃÂ Martina McBride ÃÂ -ÃÂ Martina ÃÂ ( RCA ) - tin whistle on track 1, So Magical
- 2003:ÃÂ Sara Evans ÃÂ -ÃÂ Restless ÃÂ (RCA Nashville) - tin whistle, concertina
- 2003: Dixie Chicks -àTop of the World Tour: Live à(Monument) - acoustic guitar, tin whistle, concertina, percussion, papoose guitar, string arrangement for âÂÂTop Of The WorldâÂÂ
- 2004: Peter Cetera â You Just Gotta Love Christmas â tin whistle, low whistles
- 2004:àSelah à-àHiding Place à( Curb ) â tin whistle
- 2005: various artists -ÃÂ Happy Land: Musical Tributes to Laura Ingalls WilderÃÂ (Pa's Fiddle) - track 10, Oft in the Stilly Night (accompanying Deborah Packard on guitar)
- 2007: Butch Baldassari -ÃÂ The Vespa Love Festival SessionsÃÂ ( CD Baby )
- 2007:ÃÂ Donna Ulisse ÃÂ -ÃÂ When I Look BackÃÂ (Hadley) - tin whistle, concertina, harmonium
- 2007:ÃÂ Gretchen Peters ÃÂ -ÃÂ Burnt Toast & OfferingsÃÂ (Scarlet Letter) - concertina, tin whistle on track 10, This Town
- 2008:ÃÂ Peter Corry ÃÂ -ÃÂ Sounds of the SoulÃÂ (self-released) - concertina
- 2008: Janet McLaughlin -ÃÂ Shine In The MoonÃÂ (Muddy Paw) - acoustic guitar, low whistle, tin whistle, concertina
- 2008: Dolly Parton -àBackwoods Barbie à(Dolly) - tin whistle, bodhrán, harmonium on track 6, Only Dreamin
- 2008:àThe Waybacks à-àLoaded ( Compass ) â tin whistle
- 2008: Sara Evans â Born To Fly/Restless â tin whistle, concertina
- 2009:ÃÂ John Cowan ÃÂ -ÃÂ Comfort and JoyÃÂ ( eOne ) - guitar, tin whistle
- 2011: Craig Duncan -àIrish Country Christmasà(Green Hill) - tin whistle, bodhrán, guitar
- 2011:ÃÂ Kathy Troccoli ÃÂ -ÃÂ Christmas SongsÃÂ (Green Hill) - bouzouki, guitar, low whistle
- 2012:ÃÂ Anna Ternheim ÃÂ -ÃÂ The Night Visitor ÃÂ ( V2 Records ) - tin whistle on track 8, God Don't Know
- 2013:ÃÂ Dawn McCarthy ÃÂ andÃÂ Bonnie and Prince; Billy ÃÂ -ÃÂ What the Brothers Sang ÃÂ ( Drag City ) - mandolin, harmonium
- 2013:ÃÂ Craig Campbell ÃÂ -ÃÂ Never Regret ÃÂ ( Bigger Picture ) - harmonium
- 2014:ÃÂ Jim Hendricks ÃÂ and Jeff Lisenby -ÃÂ Celtic Heritage: Favorite Irish, Scottish and Old English MelodiesÃÂ (Green Hill) - guitar, mandolin
- 2014: Dolly Parton â Blue Smoke - harmonium
- 2015:àTom Paxton à-àRedemption Road à(Pax) â tin whistle
- 2016: Alan Jackson â Precious Memories Collection - Harmonium, tin whistle, uilleann pipes
- 2017: The Westies -àSix On the Outà(Audio & Video Labs) â tin whistle
- 2017: Lady Antebellum â Gentle Giant: The Songs of Don Williams â string arrangement and guitar solo on âÂÂWe've Got A Good Fire GoingâÂÂ
As arranger
References
External links